Small firearm.



D. STERGIANOPULOS.

SMALL FIREARM.

APPzAcATmN FILED MAY 2x. 191'5.

um Mw/ ,u1u m. m m m u a N ,w j@ 7l m 6, w .Q n, w m N@ fw l, w v

DEMETRIOS STERGIANOPULOS, OF WILMIGTON, DELAWARE.

SMALL FIBEARM.

messala.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. d, 1916.

Application filed May 21, 1915. Serial No. 29,476.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, 'DEMETRIOS STER- GIANorULos, a subject of the Kingdom of Greece, residing at the city of lvlilmington, in the State of Delaware, have invented ciertain new and useful Improvements in Small Firearms, of which the following is a clear, full, and eXact description.

This invention relates to improvements in 'small fire-arms and has for its object to provide protective means at the muzzle end of the Weapon..

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a side View of a rifle embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar enlarged fragmental view of the muzzle end of the rifle, partly in section. Fig. .3 is a'vievv of Fig. 2 looking toward the left. Fig. 4 is a. view similar to Fig. 3 with certain parts removed, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

My improvements may be used with almost any type of gun. The rifle 1 shown in Fig. 1 while of a particular type is for illustrative purposes only. There are many different types of fire-arms of the smaller class, that is to say, the class that is carried by man t'o suit the various purposes for which they are intended. In almost every instance the fore sight, as shown at 2, is placed in an Vunprotected position at the Imuzzle end of the barrel 3 and is often subiected to exceedingly rough usage. This 1s especially true of the armyrifie which is equipped with a bayonet. It is of course` essential to the accurate firing of the rifle that the sigl'rt be maintained in a perfect condition, and it is the purpose of this invention vto so protect the fore sight that it Willenot be injured bythe rough usage that such rifles often are subjected to.

I provide What might be termed a housing for the fore sight comprising side and front guards which will serve to protect the sight from the attack ofthe enemy, as Well as from other blows or knocks that it might be subjected to. Theside guards 4v are preferably made of strong metal such as steel and connected together by a yoke or band 5 which is shaped so that it will snugly embrace that portion of the rifle in line with the fore sight and support the tivo guards fl inupright position on each side of the sight. The guards are preferably of sufli-l cient area to extend bevond the sight on all to amply protect it. 1 preferably provide the guards with relatively large orifices 6 tapered inwardly to a knife-edge for the purpose 0f permitting ample light to reach the sight.

The rifle here shown is provided with a bayonet 7 which may be detachably secured to the stock of the rifie in any desiredmanner. In the present instance, the bayonet is provided with a shield plate 8 which has a pin 9 projecting from it. for entering a corresponding socket in the end of the rifle, as shown in Fig. 2. The handle 10 of the bayonetI is provided with an inverted T- shaped groove 11 open at the end which engages a correspondingly shaped lug l2 which projects from the rifle. A lock pin 18 extends through the handle 10 and is provided at one end with an upwardly'and inwardly extending finger` 1i which projects through an opening 15 and into the groove 11. The other end of the pin 13 is provided with a puslrbutton 16-for forcing the finger out of the groove 11. and a. tension spring 17 is provided for returning the finger to its locking position within the dovetailed groove and maintaining it therein.

The pin is positioned to seat behindthe lug 12 and thereby lock the bayonet in position. All that is necessary in removing the bayonet is to press the head 16 until the finger 14 clears the groove 11, whereupon the bavonet may be simply drawn forward until it is free from the rifle. It is obvious that the reverse of this operation will quickly secure the bayonet to the rie.

The front guard 18 is preferably made detachable. and to this end I form it of a suitably stiff steel plate having an orice 19 for mounting it upon the barrel of the rifle and another oriice 2O for mounting it onthe blade of the bayonet. These orifices should preferably be of sizes respectively to preduce an easy fit of the barrel and blade Within them. I prefer in the present instance to secure the plate 18 to the bayonet so Vthat both may be removed separately from the rie when desired or the guard may be removed separately, although I de not Wish to be limited to any specific form of securing means.

rThe guard is provided With a rearwardly extending pin 21 which extends into a hole of the plate 18. This plate is provided with a chamber 22 below the hole.- A headed pin 23 extends into the chamber through the I bottom thereof and has its upper end projecting into the path of the pin 21 to engage e socket formed therein for kicking the guard rmly in position. A spring 24 is provided. for maintaining the pin 23 in active position und for Areturning it thereto when depressed by 'ereing the heed down- Wardly when it is desired te remove the guard.

The guard is provided With'an opening exposing the top edge the sight which ath ef sight'unobstructed. de however ,refer to extend the guard upwardly on ither side of the said opening, and in feet 0 extend it 'for e. Considei'sbie extent on ali sides ef the barrel se that it Wili not only shield and the sight but also act es e loroteetive shieid to the person using the rie instance orifices for this purpose Wish to Copies ef ":e patent may be course is necessary in order to leaveY the Y' memes? include any surface configurations that willthe rifle barrel, seid guard being-extended im? e considerable extent beyond all'sdes el? the riie and having an opening opposite the upper edge of the sight.

3. In a rifie, a fore sight, and e gueijdwin advance thereof, disposed transversely of edvence thereof, disposed vtransVerseiyfof\:as

the riie barrel, said gua-rd being extendedl for e eonsiderabe extent bey-ond all sides of the rifle andfheving an opening opposite the upper edge of the sight end openings dispesed throughout' its area.

This speciceton signed this 13th day of May, 1915.

BEIETRQS STERGIANPULOS.

obtained in?? ve cents each, by addressing the ommissioner of 1P"f`.ents

sshngeen, E. C. 

